From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Road test report detailing vehicle performance issues such as light springing, a heavy clutch, and a catastrophic gearbox failure during a hill climb.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 91\1\ scan0020 | |
| Date | 15th July 1935 | |
| -2- This is a very undesirable feature due perhaps to the use of 18" wheels and the wings being correspondingly lower. The springing of this car is, in my opinion, definitely too light. She bumps easily at the rear with nobody in the back of the car and shock absorbers at maximum. Quite unsuitable for fast work with a full complement of passengers on anything but a first class road. Clutch heavy to operate compared with a Phantom. Ground clearance in front noticeably small; car looks down by the nose. In deep cart ruts the front of chassis would probably hit ground. Water Temperature at moderate speeds 85 to 90°c. Not much margin for severe hill climbing in hot weather without boiling All the above points revealed themselves in ordinary driving over main roads at all speeds up to the limit of the car. Speedometer hopelessly slow therefore have no idea what the speed of the car was. Maximum attained on speedometer, 70. Car does not appear to have a high maximum but acceleration and road holding quite remarkable, particularly the acceleration, from this point of view, a wonderful performance. Being now used to the car and knowing its peculiarities, decided to give it a severe hill climb before returning to W. Found a long steep hill used for testing cars and motor cycles near Llangollen, nearly half a mile long, gradient about 1 in 4. Car was ascending grandly, the gradient probably now being 1 in 5, when clutch started to slip. As soon as I saw that she could not negotiate the hill because of this I stopped and let the car stand for a few minutes. After cooling down a bit I started again; got away well, clutch slipped again; obviously impossible to complete the climb. By this time found first gear jammed - could not be disengaged and what I gathered to be a gearbox shaft siezed. Car would not move either backwards or forwards; was completely stuck. Made several attempts to move either way; engine now very stubborn and practically refused to start. Walked back about a mile to the hotel, telephoned W. got the Experimental Dept. and asked for assistance. Returned to car after about one hour, made a final attempt to get up or down. To go up was completely out of the question and found it required several people to push the car down the gradient of 1 in 5 with the brakes off, to get it moving. It went a few yards and nearside rear wheel locked; clutch out; first speed still jammed. Repeated this several times, a few yards at a time, and finally succeeded in -2- | ||